Woralop, a 44-year-old homeless man from Thailand, only had nine baht (¢25) to his name when he found a Hermes leather wallet with 20,000 baht ($579USD) and several credit cards. It was more than enough to buy him food and even a place to stay for weeks, maybe months, but he chose to return it. The kind gesture would soon prove to be life-changing.

You’ve probably been asked what you would do if you found a wallet full of cash, at least once in your life. Would you keep, it, turn it in to the police, ask for a reward? This question always tests a person’s moral values, but for someone who has hit rock bottom, the answer seems pretty clear. And yet Woralop claims he didn’t even think about keeping the wallet, and even ran after the owner to return it, after seeing him dropping it by mistake. He couldn’t catch up with the man, but he went straight to the nearest police station to hand it over.

Photo: SWNS

The owner, 30-year-old Niity Pongkriangyos, hadn’t even noticed he had lost the expensive designer wallet when the police called to tell him they had it. When he learned that a homeless man had turned it in and saw that all the money and credit cards were still inside, he was more than just a little bit impressed. “I was totally surprised when the police told me they had my wallet as I didn’t even know I’d lost it. My first reaction was ‘wow’, if it was me in that position with no money I probably would have kept it,” the young entrepreneur later told reporters. “But he was homeless and had just a few coins in his pocket and still handed it in. That shows a good, honest person. Just the kind of staff we need.”

Photo: SWNS

Although he initially offered Woralop a 2,000 baht ($57) reward, Pongkriangyos later decided to also offer the homeless man a job at his factory in Bangkok, which he was more than happy to accept. It comes with a 11,000baht ($314) salary and decent accommodation. “I’m so grateful to be given this chance to turn my life around. Having a clean bed to sleep in makes me so happy now,” Woralop said. “I want to thank Nitty and Tarika (his new boss’ girlfriend) for the kindness they have both shown to me.”

Photo: SWNS

Tarika has already started posting photos of Woralop at his new job on social media and told Thai media that “Woralop is such a good example that being kind really does pay off. When you’re kind to another, another is kind to you.”